Community
Newspapers
of
Australia
PO Box 234
Auburn NSW 2144
p: (2) 8789 7362
f: (2) 8789 7387

 



Why Suburbans?

- By its very nature a suburban newspaper is not only part of the community and a leader in that community, it is vitally involved in the community it serves and a powerful supporter of community actions and interests.


At left is the Progress Leader - the winner of the best community newspaper over 40,000 circulation in our 2005 Southern Division awards.

Where we fit into the community

At their best local papers are catalysts for change in the community; forums for open discussion. Essentially community newspapers have a closer connection with their readers than other newspapers that, being more remote, carry less, or a different kind, of credibility with their readers.

Local newspapers are intensely interested and curious about their readers; identifying and understanding them in order to satisfy their informational needs and also to enable advertisers to know the market and meet its requirements. The good suburban newspaper seeks continually to understand the characteristic and behaviour, the habitats and inclinations of its readers; and in truth the interests, the passions and concerns of the community.

The community in turn shapes the paper. The letters to the editor page, for instance, has immediate relevance to readers for, while they are concerned on the wider and deeper issues of the broader community, and indeed the planet, what decision the council made about a certain development or the state of the railway service, or lack of it, it is of first importance.

A vital community newspaper draws its being from the community and equally gives back to that community. What is happening in the neighbourhood most closely concerns inhabitants; the local news of the week, the gossip, opinions, discussion, disagreement, the achievements of local heroes and heroines, these are what is grist to the mill. It is, unfailingly, week after week, a forum for the residents' thoughts, suggestions and ideas; the views, criticism and complaints, not forgetting the praise! The local paper gets to the heart of the matter. It is the community's voice.

The community newspaper has unerring instinct for what makes local news - it is a mistake to disparage this focus - and that is its very strength. In supplying authoritative, quality editorial that is backed up by strong marketing promotions it plays a role in the local community that no other publication can.

 

Copyright 2005 community newspapers of australia

 




Quick facts*

- 73.5% of people consider it either very important or important to receive their suburban newspaper.

- 63.4% of people use their local newspaper advertising pages as a shopping guide.

- 56.7% of people use their suburban newspaper to select tradesmen and services, compared with: Yellow Pages 25.6% Melbourne Big 3.8% Local Planner 2.3% Other 11.5%

- 63.8% of people consider their suburban newspaper the best way to find real estate information, compared with: Daily Newspapers 24.9% Real Estate Publications 4.8% Other 6.5%



*Source: 'A Study into Attitudes to Local Suburban Newspapers' conducted by the Sociology Department at Monash University, November, 1991, on behalf of the Australian Suburban Newspapers' Association.